Picnic at the Zoo
by djenie
Summary: This is a follow-up to my earlier story Lunch at the Pentagon. Has Jack and Sam's new relationship made any progress?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a follow-up to my story 'Lunch at the Pentagon'. It will be much clearer if you have read 'Lunch,' even though I have tried to fill in some of the background.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**SURPRISE**

Jack missed Sam like crazy; it had been waay too long since they'd seen each other! A lifetime! Forever!

In point of fact, it had only been two weeks since that memorable day when they'd crashed into each other in the corridor of the Pentagon, and in the hours following had renewed a friendship, and begun a love affair. They'd spent two days together—with several interruptions!—and recognized and declared their love for each other. Daniel—who was one of the interruptions!—had thought it was a hoot, and had broken into a victory dance in Jack's living room when he found out. Jack would not have been surprised if the 'hip-hip-hoorays' had prompted some calls from the neighbors! Daniel had been texting and phoning Jack every couple of days since, just to make sure neither of them had backed out.

Well, there wasn't any danger of _Jack_ backing out! _That was for sure!_ Almost nothing in his life had ever felt so right or made him feel as complete as having Samantha Carter say she loved him! And he missed her so bad! Those two weeks felt like a year! To make matters worse, they wouldn't be able to get together anytime soon, either; Sam could not leave Colorado Springs due to her work load, and he was stuck in Washington. Even though it was the weekend, he was tied up for the next two days—meetings with members of the appropriations committee tomorrow and a mandatory cocktail party at the home of the Chief of Staff tomorrow night. Then there was that outing on Sunday—at least that would be fun. He glanced at his watch. 17:45. He'd gotten away from his office a little early. He'd call Sam and they could video chat on the computer for a while. Unless she had to work.

Lt. Collins pulled the car up in front of Jack's row house in Alexandria. "Tomorrow morning at 09:00," Jack said as he opened the door. "Thanks, Collins. I don't know how you stand this schedule, but I appreciate it."

"General, working for you is a walk in the park." The lieutenant grinned over at him. Ben Collins had worked for some real D.C. a-holes in the past few years, and his assignment to crusty, scrupulously honest, blunt and so very human Major General Jack O'Neill was something he appreciated every day of their association.

"And you're gonna be good for Sunday?" Jack asked

"Absolutely, sir," the lieutenant said.

"Thanks, Collins," Jack said. He reached for the door handle. "See you tomorrow."

"Good night, sir." Collins didn't get out and open the door for the general. He'd been hollered at enough times for that, and he'd finally gotten the message. Now he only did so if the general had other passengers with him.

Jack watched the car leave, and turned to glance out over the Potomac, beyond the riverside park across the street from his house. The sun was low, and the shadows deepened the color of the water. This was a great location, good view, excellent neighborhood and not too far from Arlington, where the Pentagon was located.

He sighed as he walked up to his front door. Another evening in an empty house. He _soo_ wanted to retire so he could move back to Colorado Springs and live with Sam...

Turning the key in the lock, he opened the door.

The lights were on. _What the heck?_ And then a big grin split his face. Sam was sitting on the couch, her laptop in front of her on the coffee table. She looked up as the door opened and flashed that super-smile he loved.

"Hey!" he said, dropping his hat on the way across the room. By the time he got to the sofa, she was on her feet and around the table and they met in a hug. Oh, how good she felt! He was surprised, and delighted to see her! He bent his head and kissed her passionately.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded after they came up for air. "When did you get in? How long can you stay?"

She laughed. "I had a bit of a break. I've been here for half an hour or so. How are you?"

"Much better now that you're here!" he declared, pulling her over to sit with him on the sofa. He didn't want to let her go. "God, you look wonderful!"

"You look pretty good yourself," she said, thinking 'pretty good' didn't even half cover it! He was just the most gorgeous man in the universe as far as she was concerned!

"I've missed you so much!" he said, nuzzling her neck, nibbling the sensitive skin behind her ear, and listening for that little purr of pleasure he had quickly learned to expect when he did that. He got the fix he wanted within seconds, and his own thrill meter shot up several degrees at the soft sound. God, she was hot! He shifted position so he could reach her mouth with his, and his hands started toward the buttons on her blouse...

"Ow..." Something scratched him, and she winced at the same time, and that's when he realized he was in his dress blues—and she was wearing BDUs. He'd jabbed himself on his own medals, and evidently one of them had gotten her, too. "I'm sorry," he said. "Let me just get this jacket off... Where did I stab you? What are you doing in those clothes, anyway?"

"No, no. Leave your jacket on." She reached over to the table and picked up her laptop. "You'll probably want your cover, too."

"What? Leave it on? Why... what's..." He stopped as she got up from the sofa. "Where are you going?"

She grabbed his hat from the chair where he'd dropped it, and held it out to him. "Stand up, Jack. Come over here."

He took the hat, then got up, puzzlement all over his face. "What's going on?"

"Got a surprise for you," she grinned. "Here, hold this." She handed him a small white stone, which looked vaguely familiar. "Now come over and stand right beside me." He did, and snaked his arm around her, pulling her toward him. She laughed, punching in something on the laptop. "You might want to drop the arm," she suggested.

"Huh?"

"Drop the arm, Jack," she ordered. Surprised, he released her waist, as she hit a final key and they were enveloped in a brilliant white light...

**sjsjsjsj**

...the next instant his living room was gone and they were standing in the gateroom at the SGC.

"What the hell..." Jack looked around. A dozen people were scattered around the room. He saw Daniel and Teal'c, along with Al Reynolds and Dave Dixon; Siler was standing behind a mobile computer unit near the door. He glanced up at the control room and Hank Landry gave him a grin and a salute. "That was an Asgaard beam," he said, turning to Sam.

"That's right," she said, smiling and stepping slightly away from his side. Looking around at the crowd, he understood her order to drop his arm!

Jack hadn't visited the SGC in more than half a year, and everyone came forward to greet him. For a good half hour, he was busy shaking hands and catching up with friends and acquaintances. He was especially glad to see Teal'c, whom he hadn't spoken to in several months. Feretti slapped him on the back, and gave him a salute. Colonel Mitchell looked uncomfortable, as he always did in Jack's presence. Although he was surrounded by people, Jack noticed that the scientists had gathered around Carter, Captain Jennifer Hailey among them, and were apparently fascinated by something on her laptop.

Eventually most of the people departed, and Hank suggested they adjourn to the briefing room. The table was a little crowded, as the group included himself, Carter, Daniel, Teal'c, Landry, Mitchell, as well as Hailey, a dark haired woman in science department blue, another man he didn't recognize, and the alien woman, Vala, who Jack had not managed to warm up to. Since SG1 now consisted of Mitchell, Teal'c, Daniel and Vala, he was not surprised that she and Cameron were there.

"Welcome to the SGC, Jack," Landry began. "What do you think of Col. Carter's latest accomplishment!"

"Beats the hell out of a 4 hour plane ride," he said. "But I'd like to hear how she did it. I _know_ there's no ship in orbit right now capable of beaming—unless I missed a really big memo!"

Landry laughed. "Colonel Carter, I'll let you explain."

Jack turned to look at Sam, and she smiled at him. "This is a prototype for a satellite-based transporter system, which we hope someday to implement planet-wide, sir. Right now there's only one installation on one satellite, which is in geosynchronous orbit over North America—and you and I were the first passengers!"

"You made me a guinea pig, Carter?" he asked in mock horror.

"Yes, sir. Who better?" she said as everyone laughed. "So far the only destinations programmed into the system are here and Area 51, and now your living room, but we plan to add several more very shortly."

"Well, that's cool," Jack said. "But I thought you were working on new ship design..."

"Yes sir, that, too," she said. "Actually most of the work on this project has been done by Captain Hailey and her team. General, this is Dr. Kylee Barrows and Dr. Marshall Waterhouse." She introduced the two scientists.

"Great job, folks," Jack said. "Hailey, this is impressive. Your idea?"

"Thank you, sir," Hailey couldn't help grinning. "We all developed the idea together. It just seemed like a natural offshoot of the Asgaard beaming technology."

"And sooo Star Trek," Jack said. And then raised his eyebrows when Hailey blushed and the other two scientists stifled chuckles. "What?"

"We nicknamed her Scotty, General," Dr. Waterhouse said. "She didn't appreciate it at first."

Jack joined in the general amusement, making Hailey blush harder.

"It's going to be a while before this is anywhere near widespread," Carter pointed out. "The money just isn't there yet for the number of satellite installations that would be necessary. But right now we can program any destination in the forty-eight contiguous states and southern Canada, with just the one unit. It'll have to be carefully monitored, however, as only one transport can take place at a time."

"That should be easy, since you have the control key there," Jack said, pointing to the laptop on the table in front of her.

"For now," she agreed.

After the meeting broke up, she said to him, "We need to make a stop at the infirmary."

He winced. "My favorite place," he quipped sarcastically. "What for?"

"You know that little stone I gave you to hold just before we beamed?" When he nodded she went on, "That's the receiver for the transporter beam. We've developed a miniature version that can be inserted under the skin. Dr. Lam is going to put one in for you."

"Does that mean you can kidnap me anytime you want?" he teased, as they headed for the elevator.

She grinned a Cheshire-cat grin.

"So how many people have these things?" Jack asked as he watched Dr. Lam place a band-aid on the tiny incision where the receiver had been inserted.

"Only a half dozen or so," Sam replied. "Hailey and I. Dick Woolsey." She wrinkled her nose.

"Woolsey?! Really?"

"The IOA insisted," she said. "Dr. Waterhouse. And now you. Oh... and Daniel."

"Daniel? You mean now he can pop into my living room with no warning at all? Thanks a lot, Carter!"

She laughed. "It's strictly monitored, sir. And like you said, I'm the one with the controls."

**jsjsjsjs**

"I have to go back tonight, you know," Jack told her later as they were having coffee in the cafeteria. "I have a pretty full schedule for the weekend. Hey—any chance you want to go to a cocktail party at General Bracken's house tomorrow night?"

"Chairman of the Joint Chiefs?" she said.

"Yep. It's kinda required. I can bring somebody, though." He grinned. "It would make my evening a lot more pleasant." But he could tell by the expression on her face that it wouldn't happen. He sighed. "Well, never mind. I'll survive it."

"I'm sorry, Jack." Not that she really wanted to go to the party, but for an evening with him... "I just can't. There's a late afternoon meeting of the design committee tomorrow that'll probably last until ten or later. They usually do. I'm actually free Sunday, though," she added hopefully.

He perked up. "Really? How do you feel about the zoo?"

"The zoo?"

"I promised Miranda's grandson, Max, that I would take him to see the pandas. Remember? You were there..."

"Of course I remember Max." She lowered her voice. "I wasn't _that_ drunk."

He chuckled and his eyes took on a sparkle. "Just nicely mellow," he whispered, and then grinned as she blushed furiously.

"Anyway, we're going to the National Zoo on Sunday," he went on. "Max's fifth birthday is in a couple of weeks. The zoo hosts kids' birthday parties, and I've reserved the room they call the Bear's Lair, which includes a tour of the Asia Trail. Pandas, of course. I'm meeting Miranda and Max, and their family, there at ten. The party's from ten til twelve. Then we'll have lunch, and spend a few hours in the afternoon doing whatever Max wants. There's so much to see, you could spend all day and not see it all."

"Sounds great," she said.

"How about it?" he urged, hopefully. "Now that you have this transporter gizmo, it'll be a breeze. You could even come late tomorrow night, after your meeting," he suggested hopefully. "I'd wait up for you."

"I'll bet you would." She looked regretful. "But I'm really not sure about tomorrow night. There's so much to do... I can come Sunday morning, though. I can justify the beaming as part of the prototype testing. I'm sorry about Saturday night, Jack."

He hid his disappointment. "I understand. At least I'll see you Sunday."

Daniel and Teal'c arrived just then, and they decided to all eat dinner there together. Eventually they were joined by Mitchell and Vala and General Landry and several other friends. Jack stayed on base until after eleven, which meant it was past one in the morning DC time when Sam beamed him back to Alexandria. She refused to return with him, saying he needed to be at his best to face the Appropriations Committee; and he knew she was right—he wouldn't have gotten any sleep if she'd come. Besides, each powering of the new transporter cost an ungodly amount of money, and casual use was just not in the books.

**sjsjsjsj**

The Appropriations Committee meetings the next day were long and tiring; but at least it wasn't like it was in past years, when Kinsey was everywhere, doing his best to block all of the SGC's moves! The Hayes administration had been friendly to the Stargate Program, but old Henry was just way too conscious of his political role, letting Kinsey do a huge amount of damage before reining him in.

President MacKenzie Allen was a different creature altogether; she'd made it known from the get-go that she was one hundred percent behind the Stargate Program, and she had never used it as a political shuttlecock. She was, in fact, not really a politician, in the accepted sense of the word—maybe that's why Jack got along with her as well as he did. Of course, the Appropriations Committee was a force unto itself, and had never kowtowed to any President—but some of the members were strong friends of Allen's administration, and therefore inclined to support what she supported. The committee member Jack liked best was a long-time Senator from a New England state, currently President Pro Tem of the Senate, and Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-Committee on Homeland and Homeworld Security. He'd had lunch with this Senator in the midst of the meetings, and Jack found the things he'd had to say very encouraging. The fact that the Senator had an Irish name was just icing on the cake in Jack's mind!

So Jack was fairly optimistic when he made it home around 6:30 that night. It looked as if the Stargate Program was solvent, at least for the foreseeable future. He'd even gotten them to consider raising the allocation for the beaming technology. That, of course, was what his surprise visit to the SGC had been all about.

The cocktail party at General Bracken's was at 8:00, so he had a little over an hour to shower and get ready before Collins would be back to pick him up. He headed upstairs. He came down twenty-five minutes later, feeling somewhat refreshed, and headed for the fridge to get a beer. His housekeeper Miranda had been in that day, and there was a chicken casserole on the top shelf, with instructions for simply popping it in the microwave. He dished out a helping and warmed it up, while he drank half of his beer. The casserole was excellent and was just the perfect thing to fortify him for the evening. He donned his clean uniform jacket and was ready when Lt. Collins arrived, right on time.

**jsjsjsjs**

Moving toward a partially open patio door, in search of fresh air, Jack looked at his watch. 9:09. Nearly an hour of the cocktail party yet to endure; he'd told Collins to come back for him at 10:00. He scanned the crowded room. Uniforms and evening dresses everywhere. He sighed and took another step toward the outdoors.

A hand fell on his shoulder. "Jack!"

He turned to face Four-Star General Edward D. Bracken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

_Damn..._

He wasn't home in bed until well after midnight.

**sjsjsjsj**

Something smelled wonderful! More than half asleep, Jack turned toward the scent, and his cheek brushed against something soft and warm. Skin. Warm, fragrant skin... He buried his nose in the softness and inhaled. Carter, he thought hazily and nuzzled closer, feeling her shoulder, her neck, her hair against his face. He was curled behind her, chest to her back, his lap to her bottom, the front of his thighs to the back of hers. _What a lovely dream..._

He nibbled at her skin muzzily. His hand slid around her ribs, found only the thinnest of fabric, slipped up and cupped the weight of her breast, fingertips dancing lightly across her aroused nipple. She gave a soft groan and sighed in her sleep, moving her bottom against his... lap. The response of his body was instantaneous, and he came fully awake with an indrawn hiss of breath. Not a dream at all!

"Carter... What are you doing here?" he murmured hoarsely, drawing her closer and burying his face in the fragrant softness where her neck and shoulder met.

"Sleeping..." she muttered. She stretched a little and turned toward him. "At least I was..." She captured his mouth with hers and kissed him deeply, her arms winding around his neck and her fingers playing with the hair at the back of his neck in a way that simply drove him wild. He pulled her even closer—sleep was now the last thing on his mind...

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**President Mackenzie Allen (played by Geena Davis) is a character from the series 'Commander in Chief,' which ran in 2005 or 2006. **


	2. Chapter 2

**ZOO**

At 09.45 Sunday morning Lt. Collins dropped Jack and Sam at the entrance to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park on Connecticut Avenue in Washington. Several children were playing on the large concrete ZOO letters, and Jack saw Max among them. Miranda was standing nearby with a man Jack recognized as her husband, Diego, and a younger couple.

Jack and Sam joined Miranda and Diego, and were introduced to their son Joe and his wife Elisa, Max's parents.

"The others will be here shortly," Miranda told Jack. They were expecting a number of Max's cousins and friends.

Max came running over, followed by three of the other children. "General Jack!" The boy flung his arms around Jack and Jack hugged him. "These are my cousins, General Jack. This is Carla and Micky and Daniella."

Jack shook hands with each of the children, who ranged from Max's age to eight or nine.

Other members of the Escobar family began arriving, until there were about fifteen children, including some friends, ranging from four to twelve—as well as a number of adults. When Miranda assured Jack that everyone they expected was there, they trooped into the Zoo grounds and headed to the Visitors' Center, just a short distance inside the compound.

They were greeted enthusiastically by a young man who obviously knew Jack. His name tag identified him simply as Tom.

"General O'Neill! It's good to see you! Is this the birthday boy?" he asked, smiling at Max, who was holding on to Jack's hand.

"Yes," Jack said. "This is Max."

"Welcome, Max." Tom squatted to the boy's level. "Happy birthday! Is it today?"

"Thank you," Max said, when nudged by his mom. "No. It's on the 23rd."

"And how old will you be?" Tom asked.

"I'll be five."

"Five! That's great! Well, let's go into the Bears' Lair, where we're all set up." He stood up and smiled at Max's parents and offered Max his hand.

The room he led them to was decorated with posters and pictures of pandas, as well as other animals. Jack had ordered banners saying 'Happy Birthday, Max!' and streamers, which were strung from the ceiling. He had also arranged for a large birthday cake, shaped like a panda, as well as several dozen cupcakes. ("Bet you're hoping to take the leftovers home." Sam whispered in his ear with a smirk.) Juice, ice cream, plates and decorative tablecloths were provided. A table was set up for Max's gifts, and the pile was accumulating as the guests contributed. There were volunteers there to serve the kids snacks and keep things organized. They were wearing name tags with FONZ printed across the top.

"They're members of the Friends of the National Zoo," Jack explained to Sam. "I'm a member, too." he added, as one of the women walked over and handed him a FONZ tag with his name already written on it.

They were standing off to the side, talking with Miranda and her husband and several of the other adults, as the kids played a game of animal identification, led by Tom and two of the volunteers.

The kids sang Happy Birthday to Max, had cake and ice cream, and Max excitedly opened his gifts. The boy insisted that Jack sit beside him while this was happening, so Max could show him everything. Jack seemed almost as excited over the gifts as Max did.

The toys and games were stored in large bags by the volunteers and set aside to be picked up later. Among the presents was a large stuffed plush Panda, a gift from the Zoo.

After the gifts had all been opened and admired, the group was led by Tom on a tour of the Asia Trail. They lingered as long as possible in the Panda house, as the kids were fascinated by the exotic, gentle-seeming animals, and especially the six month old cub, who appeared unfazed by the audience hanging onto his every action. One of the zoo attendants was in the glass enclosure with the cub, and encouraged him to play with various toys and to nibble on the bamboo stalk she brought him. She picked him up and cuddled him, bringing him close to the windows so the children could get a good look. Max held onto Jack's hand, and told him about the pandas—that they were borrowed from China, and that the baby would be sent to China to live when it was older. He also informed Jack that the pandas lived mostly on bamboo, but also ate fish and other 'stuff' that the zoo provided. Pandas can see well in the dark, too, Max said, and they are a 'danger speesee.'

"How do you know all this?" Jack asked him with a grin, when the boy paused in his chatter.

"Mama helped me look it up on the computer," Max told him proudly.

Finally they had to move on to visit the other animals on the Trail, which all turned out to be just as interesting. Some of the kids were most fascinated by the striped and spotted Fishing Cats, watching wide-eyed as the cats dove right into the water after the fish. Others liked the shaggy Sloth Bears, with their perpetual 'bad hair.'

Tom said good-bye to them at noon, and the group headed over to one of the picnic areas, where Jack had arranged to have lunch delivered for them. They ate sandwiches and fruit, and rested for a little while before continuing. Max chose to sit on the ground with Jack to eat, and soon there was a crowd of children gathered around the General.

After lunch they wandered along Olmstead Walk, detoured slightly to watch an elephant get a bath, and then headed to the great apes area to see the gorillas and the sprightly little golden lion tamarins. Again most of the kids were following Jack and Max. The kids were thoroughly enraptured watching one of the orangutans crossing forty feet above them on the cables that the zoo had nicknamed the O-line.

Next they spent nearly an hour at the solar-powered Carousel, as the children all wanted to ride on their favorite animals. Jack paid for enough tickets for every kid to ride twice. Of course there was some waiting time, since Sunday was a busy day.

Beyond the Carousel were the lions and tigers—every kid's favorites!

The final stop was the Kid's Farm, where the children were able to see cows, goats, alpacas and other farm animals—and pet some of them. They finished their day playing on the Giant Pizza Playground, where the children could add and rearrange the ingredients on a huge soft plastic pizza! Jack made the kids scream with laughter when he lay down on the pizza crust and pretended to be an anchovy!

By now everyone was tired and happy. Luckily the family had had the foresight to park their vehicles in a nearby lot, so they didn't have to troop back the entire length of the park. Max gave Jack a huge good-bye hug, and most of the children followed suit. The family thanked the General for the outing, and everyone was loaded into their cars and left the park by four o'clock.

**sjsjsjsj**

"Are you tired?" Jack asked as he and Sam wandered around the farm area after everyone was gone.

"Are you kidding? Exhausted! Following kids around is hard work!" she laughed. "But it was a great day! Maxi was so happy, and everyone had a good time." She had her arm through his and squeezed gently, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "This was a wonderful thing you did for him, Jack."

"Hey, I had a ball!"

"I know," she said, laughing. "You're the biggest kid of all."

"So... Are you too tired for a ride on the carousel?" he asked.

"Not at all! Lead on, O'Neill," she said, and then laughed again as he put his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him, turning them toward the spinning parade of animals. They hadn't ridden earlier because there were so many kids waiting in line, but now the crowd was thinning out as the day had cooled down quite a bit and families with small children were heading home.

He picked the giant panda for his mount, and she happily climbed onto the colorful Baltimore oriole beside it. She felt like a ten-year-old as the music played and the animals whirled. When she looked at Jack, she saw the biggest grin on his face that she'd ever seen.

When the ride was over, Jack called Lt. Collins to meet them at the Zoo entrance.

**jsjsjsjs**

They were back at Jack's house by six o'clock.

"Oh, my feet!" Sam cried, crashing on the couch and taking off her shoes.

Jack got them each a beer, and set the bottles on the coffee table. He sat down beside Sam, pulled her feet up into his lap and began to rub them.

"Oh, god, that feels good," she said, reaching for her drink.

They sat quietly and sipped the beers. Sam closed her eyes and enjoyed the foot massage. After a while the rubbing turned to stroking as Jack's hands began to work their way up her calves under the wide-legged trousers she was wearing. When his fingers reached the inner flesh of her thigh, she groaned and looked up at him, meeting warm, aroused brown eyes. One hand continued to caress the soft skin above her knee, while his other emerged and found its way to her midriff, and began unbuttoning her blouse. By the time his teasing fingers reached her breast, she was breathing erratically. She sat up abruptly, reaching for him and pulling his head toward hers to kiss him passionately...

**sjsjsjsj**

"So, what shall we do for dinner?" Jack asked, as they stepped out of the shower half an hour later. He grabbed a towel and began to dry her back.

"What are the options?"

"Well, I have food here," he said.

"Miranda's been shopping again, huh?"

"Yep. But that means we have to prepare it. Or... there's always take-out. The usual choices," he said. "And there's a really good Irish pub about two blocks away. Reminds me of O'Malley's. And the food is good."

"But we'd have to walk." She turned him around and rubbed the thick towel over the wet muscles of his solid back.

"Mmm hmm..."

"And get dressed."

"Yep. Unless you want to get arrested!" he chuckled.

She swatted him lightly. "So. Walk or cook or eat the same old, same old."

"That's about it."

"Let's go check out your fridge."

They heated up the rest of the chicken casserole, made a huge salad, and found a carton of Ben n Jerry's Cherry Garcia in the freezer. It made a very satisfying meal. They curled up on the couch together after they finished the ice cream.

"Can you stay the night?" Jack asked.

"Should I? Will we get any sleep?"

"I can get by on very little sleep," he assured her, sliding his arm around her waist. He was nibbling on her neck, making it very hard for her to concentrate.

"I have to be at the SGC for a meeting at ten..." she murmured.

"And I have a nine-thirty at my office." His lips covered hers and he talked around the kiss. "That gives us nearly eleven hours until Collins picks me up at eight fifteen."

"Oughta be able to manage a few hours sleep..." she groaned.

"Four or five," he agreed. "Maybe..."

By now they were utterly absorbed in each other. For a while there was no more talking. He was busy finding a way under her t-shirt. She slid a hand into the waistband of his sweatpants, working them downward.

She straddled him, kissing his neck, pulling at his shirt to get at his torso until he raised his arms to let her take it off. The movement unbalanced him and he slid sideways. When he tried to right himself, he found he was hobbled by the pants she had pushed down over his thighs. His arms were still caught up in the shirt. He fell the rest of the way to the side, whacking his head on the wooden arm of the couch.

"Ow..!" Jack exclaimed, suddenly realizing that the couch was too short and too narrow for this kind of activity. He was still sliding toward the edge! He managed to free one arm from the shirt, and made a grab for the back of the couch to keep from falling off! They were snarled in a tangle of arms and legs. Sam collapsed into giggles on top of him and for a brief time they were both in danger of going ass-over-teakettle.

Sam fought to control herself. "Upstairs?" she asked.

"Yeah. Bed... soft, wide mattress..."

She lost it again in giggles, and he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from rolling off.

"You've gotta get up before I can," he said as she finally calmed down. "Hey, watch where you put that knee!" he protested as she squirmed around to get leverage.

"I think it'll be easier just to fall off!" She let herself slide toward the edge, and ended up on the floor between the couch and coffee table, then shoved the table away so she had room to sit up. She eyed Jack, sprawled on his back in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position, with the t-shirt now twisted around his neck and one arm, and the waist of the sweat pants wrapped around his knees. Going off in laughter again, she began to scramble to her feet. "Just a sec and I'll help you up," she managed.

When they were finally up and untangled, he grabbed her hand and led her upstairs.

**sjsjsjsj**

The alarm awakened them at 6:00. Jack reached over to shut it off and then pulled Sam back into his arms, burying his face in her neck and kissing her fragrant sleep-warmed skin.

"I want to wake up like this every morning," he murmured softly into her hair.

"Mmmmm..." she sighed. _ His warm breath was on her ear..._

"I hope that means you want the same thing?" The question at the end made his voice sound more tentative than he intended.

"Mmm-hmm," she agreed, rolling her shoulder back, inviting him to kiss her some more. 

He complied, his lips lingering on her collarbone and then leaving a trail of goosebumps down to the upper swell her breast. When he paused there, she moaned in protest. _Oh, god! Don't stop now! Why d'you think I set the alarm this early!_

She turned to face him, slid her hand up his chest and around his neck, pulled his mouth down to hers...

**jsjsjsjs**

"...mmm, we have to get up now," she said. "It's ten after seven... Your car will be here in an hour." She started to rise.

He held her down. "Samantha..."

"What?" She drew back a little to see his face. "Jack?"

"Is it too soon to ask you..." He stopped. Brown eyes locked onto blue.

"Ask me what?" she whispered.

"You... you know that I love you..."

"I know. I love you, too."

He reddened a little. "Good," he murmured. "That's good."

She played with the hairs on his chest. "What were you going to ask me?"

"Umm..." He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Uh. Will you... I mean, do you think you'd... er... when do you think you'll be able to come back again?" He finished in a rush.

She leaned her forehead against his chest to hide the mixture of frustration and amusement that she knew must be on her face. _ Not what she'd thought—hoped—he was going to ask! _

Because her head was down, she didn't see the chagrinned look on his face. _Damn it, O'Neill! Why is this so hard? Just ask her! What's the worst that can happen? She'll say NO—that's what can happen!_

"I'll check my schedule for the next couple of weeks when I get back to the mountain," Sam said. "We'll talk tonight and I'll let you know." She hoped her frustration didn't show in her voice. She dropped a kiss on his chin, and pushed away, swinging her legs off the side of the bed.

He watched her move away from him, stand and head toward the bathroom. "Okay. Yeah. We'll talk tonight..."

**sjsjsjsj**

In the kitchen forty minutes later, showered and dressed, Jack made coffee for both of them. Someone had given him one of those one-cup-at-a-time coffee makers, and he had to admit that the results tasted pretty good. He handed Sam her cup when she came down the stairs.

"I'm sorry there's no time for a real breakfast, but Collins will be here in twenty minutes," he apologized. "I've got cereal, though, if you'd like some. And you can stay longer, of course, if you'd like to fix something."

"What kind of cereal—Froot Loops?" she asked, grinning. The look on his face told her she was right. "Never mind. I'm leaving in a few minutes, and I'll just grab something in the cafeteria."

They stood at the kitchen counter and drank their coffee. Jack put down his half-empty cup and reached over to wrap his hands around her upper arms and draw her gently toward him. "I'm really glad you came."

"Me, too," she said, setting her own cup on the counter, and lifting her face to kiss him softly. "Yesterday was a wonderful day. You made everyone very happy. Especially Maxi."

"Yeah. He's a great kid, isn't he?" he said. There was a wistful note in his voice, and Sam could tell by the way his eyes lighted up that he was really fond of the little boy.

"Yes, he is," she replied, smiling.

They kissed again, and held each other for a few moments longer, and then Sam picked up her tote, checked her laptop to make sure she was clear for transport and hit the 'engage' key. Her eyes locked with Jack's as the white flash of light whisked her away, back to the SGC.

**jsjsjsjs**

Jack wandered around the house after Sam had gone. He took his uniform jacket and cover out of the closet and set them on the chair where they were handy. He popped a piece of toast into the toaster and spread it with peanut butter. All the time he was kicking himself. _Why didn't he ask her? If she was going to say no, it was better to find out now. Wasn't it?_

But he was a coward. If she didn't want to marry him, then asking her might drive her away.

He took one bite of the peanut butter toast and tossed the rest into the garbage.

A horn beeped outside—he'd finally got Collins to stop coming to the door—so he grabbed his jacket, hat and briefcase and headed out the door.

**sjsjsjsj**

_**So**_** not done yet!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter has a slight crossover element with Stargate Atlantis, and a very small mention of the SGA episode Lifeline, though I have assumed a different outcome of that episode.**

**~JSJSJSJS~**

**Previously, in chapter 2:**

They kissed again, and held each other for a few moments longer, and then Sam picked up her tote, checked her laptop to make sure she was clear for transport and hit the 'engage' key. Her eyes locked with Jack's as the white flash of light whisked her away, back to the SGC.

Jack wandered around the house after Sam had gone. _Why didn't he ask her? If she was going to say no, it was better to find out now. Wasn't it?_

But he was a coward. If she didn't want to marry him, then asking her might drive her away.

A horn beeped outside—he'd finally got Collins to stop coming to the door—so he grabbed his jacket, hat and briefcase and headed out the door.

**Separation**

**sjsjsjsj**

Sam and Jack skyped on the computer that evening.

"There's no way I can get back there this weekend," Sam said regretfully. "There's a meeting on Saturday morning for the design committee. And General Landry has called a briefing for Sunday on the situation regarding the Ori. Ordinarily I wouldn't need to attend—but he made a special request that I be there." She paused and looked into his eyes. "I'm really sorry, Jack."

"Me, too." He hated that she would not be free this weekend. He'd made up his mind to ask her _the question_—no matter what! Of course, they were face to face right now; he thought about asking her while he had the courage. But it wouldn't be the same. They couldn't touch, he couldn't put the ring on her finger...

His eyes strayed to the desk drawer where the rings had been for ages. They were his grandmother's rings—a square-cut sapphire with small baguette diamonds on either side. And the matching wedding ring with three, even smaller baguette diamonds. His grandmother had given him the rings herself years ago—the year after his grandfather died. She said he should have them because he was her only grandson. He never gave the rings to Sara—somehow in his mind they just didn't suit her.

"...and hopefully I can come then," Sam was saying. "Jack?" she added when he didn't respond.

"What? Sorry. Guess I was woolgathering there for a minute."

"And here I thought I had your full attention," she said with a smile.

"I was thinking about this past weekend," he defended himself.

"Oh. Well... that's all right then. Anyway, as I was saying, it looks like next weekend is free for me..." she said hopefully.

He glanced at his calendar. "Damn..." He saw her face fall. "The President is sending me to Paris for a—classified meeting. Thursday through Sunday." He was as disappointed as she appeared.

They smiled at each other sadly.

**jsjsjsjs**

A few days later she called him on his secure line at the office, full of excitement. "Jack, they've asked me to go to Atlantis!"

"I know," he said.

She laughed. "Well, of course you do! You'd have to, right?"

"I recommended you," he admitted. _Reluctantly_, he added to himself. The last thing he wanted was for her to be in the Pegasus Galaxy, but she was the best person for the job. "I take it you accepted?"

"Well... not yet."

He blinked. "Why not?"

"I wanted to talk to you first. How do you feel about it?"

"Sam—I told you, I recommended you. You're the best candidate."

"Yes, but, how do you _feel_about it?" she insisted.

There was a pause. "It's a great opportunity. It'll do wonders for your career."

"Damn it, Jack! I'll be in the _Pegasus Galaxy! _ _For three or four months!"_

"I know. Dr. Weir will be on medical leave for at least that long. After her experience with the replicators—well, she may not even want to go back. If she doesn't, the IOA needs time to find a permanent replacement. I was a little surprised to see your name on the list of candidates, to be perfectly honest—since you're still in charge of the Odyssey Project. But I was told that the project is at a stage where your second, Colonel Danson is perfectly capable of handling it while you're gone..." He knew he was rambling, and so was not surprised when she interrupted angrily.

"God damn it, Jack O'Neill! Tell me something I _don't_ know! Tell me how you feel about me leaving for four months! Are you okay with it?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, glad she couldn't see his face. "If you want to go—and I know you do, I can hear it in your voice—if that's what you want, then... I _will be_ okay with it."

She was silent, shocked to have gotten a straight answer from him that easily.

"Sam?" he asked, when the silence stretched for several beats.

She licked her lips. "Are you sure?" Her voice was soft.

He gave a rueful laugh. "Don't give me an out, Sam. Just say 'thanks Jack' and start packing."

"Thank you, Jack," she said, still feeling a little stunned. "Thank you very much. And I love you!"

"I love you, too."

A little later in the conversation she asked a question that had sprung to her mind: "Won't this put me back in your chain of command?"

"Some people might see it that way," Jack said. "But being on the Odyssey Project means you work for the Department of Defense. So technically you're being lent to the IOA by DOD. And the IOA appoints the CO of Atlantis. So they'll be your boss. Since my authority covers US operations regarding the Stargate, and the IOA's an international committee, then we're clear."

She thought about that. "Barely. After all, you _are_ in charge of the military presence on Atlantis."

"Yeah, well. A miss and a mile, y'know."

She chuckled at his cliché-mangling.

**jsjsjsjs**

Sam was scheduled to leave for Atlantis early the next week. She was packing the night before when there was a knock on her door. When she opened it Jack stood there on her porch, dressed in jeans and his old leather jacket, hands shoved into his pockets.

After one instant of frozen surprise, she reached out and grabbed his lapel, pulling him into the house. "You came..." she breathed.

"Undomesticated equines..." he replied with a grin.

She yanked his head down and kissed the grin off his face.

The packing got postponed until early the next morning.

He sat on the edge of the bed as she stowed things in the two large duffle bags. "This is all you're taking for three months?" he asked.

"Atlantis has its own BDUs, so I don't need many clothes." She took a photo of SG-1 from her nightstand and wrapped it in a t-shirt, snugging it down into the center of the bag. "My computers are in the other bag, and I've downloaded texts and files onto them. If I'm missing something, the SGC can send it the next time someone comes through the gate." She looked around the room carefully. "Jen Hailey is going to stay here while I'm gone. I've arranged to have the yard maintenance taken care of, and the plowing done once the snow flies. Fuel deliveries are automatic. My utilities and other bills will be paid by the bank. Jen has the number of my handy-man in case something needs repairing." She began to zip the duffle. "What have I forgotten?

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he assured her. "Hailey is perfectly capable of taking up the slack." He reached for her hand and pulled her down onto his lap, circling her waist with his arms, and nuzzling her throat. "I'm going to miss you," he whispered.

"I'll miss you, too." She put her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek, working her way to his lips. For several minutes they devoured each other's mouth... "I miss you already," she whispered breathlessly when they surfaced.

He kissed her again, lowering her backwards onto the bed, so he could lean down above her. "How long before you have to report to the Mountain?" he murmured against her lips.

"Almost three hours..."

**sjsjsjsj**

Jack watched as Sam walked through the Stargate later that day. Using the Intergalactic Stargate Bridge that she and Rodney McKay had developed, she would be in Atlantis in thirty minutes. He stared at the gate for several moments after the wormhole shut down. _She's already half a galaxy away. _

"Jack?"

He turned toward General Landry. He'd forgotten the other man was even standing there. "Sorry, Hank. My mind was wandering."

"Understandable. Want to come up to the cafeteria and get some coffee?"

"Yeah. Sure." He followed the other General out of the control room, glancing back at the gate only once.

From then on Jack made a point to visit the SGC as often as possible on Fridays—the day that Atlantis made its weekly report through the gate. Just to hear her voice...

**JSJSJSJSJS**

**This story will be continued at a later day in a new posting, "Dinner in Atlantis."**


End file.
